Parking Meter Rate Increases (crime, food, estimate)

[Enough_Already]

Originally Posted by pman

the question then arises: what are comparable cities?

I looked at a list of comparable cities. None of them enforced meters after 6:00 and they all had rates far below Pittsburgh rates.

What everyone must keep in mind, as the parking charge increases the more people will decide to patronize businesses outside the city. The fact is, even if parking was totally free, much of the parking downtown would still be empty (except near certain locations on certain nights). The question is, do you want to attract people into the city to spend money at Pittsburgh businesses or do you want to give them reasons to spend money outside the city?

[pman]

Originally Posted by Enough_Already

What everyone must keep in mind, as the parking charge increases the more people will decide to patronize businesses outside the city. The fact is, even if parking was totally free, much of the parking downtown would still be empty (except near certain locations on certain nights). The question is, do you want to attract people into the city to spend money at Pittsburgh businesses or do you want to give them reasons to spend money outside the city?

if parking is free and no one used it, then the market price would be $0. I don't think it's quite that low...at least in all areas of downtown. the point I'm driving at is that it's not about comparable cities, per se, but about supply and demand. if the spots are empty, then the parking is overpriced. if you can't find a spot, then the spots are underpriced. on top of that, you can look at garage rates. if it's $3 an hour, I'd expect two hours of garage parking to cost more than $6...it doesn't.

[BrianTH]

A gazillion pages ago in this thread we hashed out these issues of market pricing. I think some people are resistant to the very idea of market pricing for parking, on the theory that market pricing is bad for local businesses (which almost surely is the opposite of the truth, but they don't want to hear it).

But even those of us who believe in market pricing can recognize that the City and/or Authority could be getting its pricing wrong, and it appears likely in many of these instances they are doing so.

[Geeo]

Went downtown after work last night to meet friends for dinner in the Cultural District. Got a space in the bus station garage (just after 5 and workers were starting to leave), had a nice leisurely dinner at Sharp Edge, stolled Penn, and went to get the car. Total was just $2 to park. I don't see what the fuss is about the meters. They are not there for an evening out. Use the garages.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Geeo

I don't see what the fuss is about the meters. They are not there for an evening out. Use the garages.

Then what are they there for? What else would one use a meter for in the evening if not for 'going out'? Its not like parking is at a premium in the evening downtown that charging to ensure open meter spaces is necessary.

I for one am not going to go out to dinner downtown & pay for a garage when I can just as easily go out to dinner where I live (or somewhere else) and not pay - or need to be constantly checking my watch for the time and lugging a bunch of quarters out if I wanted to use a meter downtown alternatively.

The ONLY benefit to charging for parking downtown at night is to the parking authority.

[pman]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Then what are they there for? What else would one use a meter for in the evening if not for 'going out'? Its not like parking is at a premium in the evening downtown that charging to ensure open meter spaces is necessary.

I for one am not going to go out to dinner downtown & pay for a garage when I can just as easily go out to dinner where I live (or somewhere else) and not pay - or need to be constantly checking my watch for the time and lugging a bunch of quarters out if I wanted to use a meter downtown alternatively.

The ONLY benefit to charging for parking downtown at night is to the parking authority.

you want a cookie?

thanks for the tip
Grant Street Transportation Center

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by pman

you want a cookie?

For?

[ThePointYouMissedMe]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Then what are they there for?

To me parking at a meter is for quick ins and outs. But then, in 20 years of working and going downtown, I probably only parked in a metered space a handful of times. Basically only a Saturday or Sunday when I needed to run in and get something from my office. If I'm going to the theater or a concert or eating dinner on a weekend, I pull into a garage.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by ThePointYouMissedMe

To me parking at a meter is for quick ins and outs. But then, in 20 years of working and going downtown, I probably only parked in a metered space a handful of times. Basically only a Saturday or Sunday when I needed to run in and get something from my office. If I'm going to the theater or a concert or eating dinner on a weekend, I pull into a garage.

To me the point of parking meters should be to provide for available spaces during peak hours when it is otherwise impossible to find somewhere to park. I.e. if I have to run downtown in the day for a quick errand, I should be able to find a metered space - and high meter costs (long as its still under the garage's hourly rate) + strict enforcement should provide for a high parking turnover & thus available spaces for those quick errands.

The problem I have is that in the evening hours parking spaces are plentiful, but the same high prices, enforement & attitude is in place when there is no public need for turnover. If someone wants to park at a meter at night for an outting at a resturant, bar, whatever, there is no detriment to the public for them occupying a space for an extended period of time and thus no need for parking time limits, high prices, etc.

Parking meters should be a tool to provide available short term parking when needed and not a detriment to city business patrons when it is not needed.

[ferrarisnowday]

Originally Posted by UKyank

I for one am not going to go out to dinner downtown & pay for a garage when I can just as easily go out to dinner where I live (or somewhere else) and not pay - or need to be constantly checking my watch for the time and lugging a bunch of quarters out if I wanted to use a meter downtown alternatively.

Well where you live it may be more of a trip to downtown, but there is a large residential population within just a couple of miles of downtown. A lot of those people, myself included, would consider it worth it to pay for parking downtown in order to avoid a trip to McKnight Road or Robinson or wherever.

The other thing that I never understand about this argument is that it really isn't an apples to apples comparison. Downtown dining establishments are usually pretty unique to the region. Nobody is going to justify parking downtown to hit the Wendy's, but is it really worth skipping out on NoLa or Mortons Steakhouse to save $2 - $5 on parking by eating at Texas Roadhouse or Olive Garden? Maybe it is to some people, but those people probably wouldn't eat at the downtown restaurants even if parking were free.